STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT,
v.
MARION LEE HAYES, APPELLEE; STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLANT, V. TERRY C. WILLIAMS, APPELLEE
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The court affirmed the trial judge's order suppressing evidence obtained through a subpoena duces tecum used as a subterfuge for an unlawful search, and affirmed the denial of the appellees' motion to dismiss.
The court held that the trial judge was correct in suppressing evidence obtained through the unlawful use of a subpoena duces tecum and affirmed the denial of the motion to dismiss.
[1] A subpoena duces tecum cannot be used as a subterfuge for a search and seizure of documents, constituting a fishing expedition for evidence.
[2] The issuance and execution of a subpoena duces tecum are subject to legal requirements, and their misuse to impair or deny the rights of others will not be sanctioned.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe State appealed an order suppressing evidence seized via a subpoena duces tecum, while the appellees cross-appealed the denial of their motion to d…
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PER CURIAM.
The State seeks reversal of an order granting appellees’ motion to suppress evidence obtained through an unlawful search, and the appellees, by cross-assignment of error, seek reversal of the order denying their motion to dismiss.
We have heard oral arguments in this cause and have carefully examined the record on appeal and the briefs submitted by the parties. It is our conclusion that the trial judge was eminently correct in granting the motion to suppress evidence unlawfully seized through the guise of a subpoena duces tecum, and we quote with approval his explanatory ruling thereon:
“The taking of the records from the offices of the respondents named in the questioned subpoena duces tecum clearly cannot be justified on the ground that Mrs. Allemann was arrested there and therefore the search was incident to a lawful arrest. The search was clearly too broad for a search incident to an arrest. Chimel v. California [395 U.S. 752, 89 S.Ct. 2034], 23 L.Ed.2d 605 (1969); Vale v. Louisiana [399 U.S. 30, 90 S.Ct. 1969], 26 L.Ed.2d 409 (1907).
“The books and records were not brought to the office of an Assistant State Attorney as commanded by the subpoena, they were clearly seized and transported there by law officers. It is presumed that the records seized by subterfuge are still in the office of the State Attorney.
“The Court specifically holds that the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum in this case was a subterfuge for searching and seizing the papers of the Defendants, was a fishing expedition to obtain evidence otherwise not within reach by lawful means to ascertain the existence of documentary evidence, and an effort to ascertain whether something of value to criminal prosecution may show up.
“To quote from State ex rel Martin v. Mitchell [Mitchell] 188 So. 2d 684 (Fla. DCA, 1966), as quoted in Imparato v. Spicola, 238 So. 2d 503, 511 (Fla. DCA 1970), ‘The vigor of the State Attorney in the use of the process of the court should be sustained and commended in all instances except where the rights of others are impaired or denied. (Emphasis supplied.)’ The rights of others have been impaired and denied in the issuance of this subpoena duces tecum. See Imparato v. Spicola, supra, and Mancusi v. DeForte, 329 U.S. 364, 20 L.Ed.2d 1154, 88 S.Ct. 2120 (1968).”
There is ample evidence in the record that the issuance, service and execution of the subpoena did not comply with the law, nor did the handling of the documents after they were obtained comport with the terms of the subpoena itself. As noted by the trial judge, use of the process of the court in this manner will not be sanctioned. We affirm the Order granting appellees’ motion to suppress.
The appellees have cross-assigned as error 1 the trial court’s order denying their motion to dismiss those charges against them which in pertinent part provided: “ . . . did unlawfully and feloniously, within the State of Florida, engage in business and offer for sale and/or sell securities without having first registered as a dealer or salesman. . . .’’in violation of Florida Statute 517.12(1), 1971. Florida Statute 517.02(3), 1971, defines “sale” or “sell” to include: “ . . . every disposition or attempt to dispose of a security or interest in a security for value . ‘Sale’ or ‘sell’ also includes ... a solicitation of a sale . . ..”
Appellees urge that Florida Statute 517.-12(1), 1971, applies only to dealings within the State of Florida and that the legislature, realizing that this statute did not cover situations where sales were made to non-resident individuals, amended the statute in 1973, effective October 1, wherein it provided, inter alia, as follows: “No dealer or salesman shall engage in business or sell any securities in or from offices in this state . . . .” Appellees then reason that the state is, in actuality, prosecuting them for offenses allegedly committed prior to the effective date of the act. We do not agree.
The subject informations were filed on the 11th day of September, 1973, therefore, Florida Statute 517.12(1), 1971, is applicable. The informations clearly charge that appellees did “ . . . unlawfully and feloniously, within the State of Florida, engage in business and offer for sale and/or sell securities without having first registered as a dealer . . . .” The offense alleged is that appellees, while within the State of Florida, engaged in the business of offering for sale or selling securities without first having been registered. Thus the alleged crime hinges upon whether appellees were unlawfully engaged in such business. The fact that the sales were being offered or made to out-of-state residents does not repeal the prohibition of conducting such business while within the State of Florida.
Affirmed.
RAWLS, C. J., JOHNSON, J., and SPECTOR, SAM, Associate Judge (Retired), concur. . The state did not respond to this cross-assignment of error in a reply brief. Such derelictions place an uncalled for burden upon this Court in its efforts to maintain a high standard of jurisprudence in this jurisdiction.
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Dean v. State, 478 So. 2d 38 (Fla. 1985)…ion to quash. These methods cannot be condoned. A subpoena duces tecum is not a substitute for a search warrant, nor may its use be a subterfuge for a warrantless search and seizure. As stated by the First District Court of Appeal in State v. Hayes, 305 So. 2d 819 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975): To quote from State ex rel. Martin v. Mitchell [Michell] 188 So. 2d 684 (Fla. DCA, 1966), as quoted in Imparato v. Spicola, 238 So. 2d 503, 511 (Fla. DCA 1970), “The vigor of the State Attorney in the use of the process of the…
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Dean v. State, 430 So. 2d 491 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983)…— and assuming that there is standing here, an issue never factually determined, it is most improbable that the seizure in this case could withstand a motion to suppress. The facts of this case are even more egregious than those in State v. Hayes, 305 So. 2d 819 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975), where the suppression of evidence seized pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum was affirmed. In [*496] Hayes, law officers went to the business offices of the respondents to serve a subpoena duces tecum. While there, they effected…
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State v. Reverend Henry Jackson, 576 So. 2d 864 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991)…e State to compile evidence against Jackson for future criminal prosecution. If so, the State should know that this practice is intolerable and anathema to our concepts of fairness. See, e.g., Dean v. State, 478 So. 2d 38 (Fla.1985); State v. Hayes, 305 So. 2d 819 (Fla. 1st DCA 1975). I concur in the result of the majority, but only because it allows the Sta’te to proceed in some fashion against this person. . Errors are contained in the original as found in the record.…
Previewing 3 of 5 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Chimel v. California, 395 U.S. 752 (U.S. 1969)
- Vale v. Louisiana, 399 U.S. 30 (U.S. 1970)
- Mancusi v. DeFORTE, 392 U.S. 364 (U.S. 1968)
- Imparato v. Spicola, 238 So. 2d 503 (Fla. 2d DCA 1970)
- State of Fla. ex rel. Hyman Martin v. Michell, 188 So. 2d 684 (Fla. 4th DCA 1966)